HOW TO FIND YOUR OWN HOME STYLE
August 9, 2011 at 3:36 pm
by Designer Dad: Stephen Saint-Onge
When I was writing my book NO PLACE LIKE HOME, I had a strong feeling about a certain chapter – about how to use and create a Look Book. I knew it would be a powerful tool for any homeowner trying to figure out their own style at home…
The Look Book was something my wife had created for our own home years ago and it became something that I used as creative tool for myself as a designer – creating mini look books for projects over the years…
So I was not surprised when I started getting emails from homeowners saying that the chapter about the Look Book was very useful to them and made them have a clearer sense of what they wanted the mood or style of their home to be…
Do you know what your own home style is? If you do or you don’t – I think this is one tool that can help any homeowner.
It is something that you can do now – whether you are living in a small apartment with dreams of having your own home to design someday, maybe you are living in a home already that you want to make better one room at a time or perhaps you are about to embark on a major home renovation…The Look Book is for you.
I won’t give away the complete contents of what that chapter is about, but I will say this to you – many of you want to make your home better and many of you are going to tackle doing that on your own (with my help) over time. Most people do not hire a designer to come and do their homes for them. Many of you may hire a painter and contractor to help you out with changes or you may be handy yourself – but you need to know what your goals are. So what you respond to or take notice of is part of the journey of figuring out your personal style…
You might like a paint color at a friend’s house – I say, make note of it. You might like a house image from a magazine – tear it out. You may get a catalog in the mail that has a home product you love – cut that product out and save it. There may be a painting or photograph you bought because you love the colors or theme of it – maybe that can help inspire creative directions. All these details may not be for a specific project now – but you are building the layers of things that inspire you and can be useful reminders down the road…It’s a visual tapestry that you create so that you can be your own best designer.
To me, part of feeling confident about your own home style is knowing what you like. The more you can empower yourself and know what you like – the easier it will be when you have to make choices about a redesign of your living room, your dining room with the upcoming holidays or what bigger budget items that may be needed for a renovation. I’ve met many people when I’m out shopping that come up to me to say “we cannot decide on what cabinets to buy for our kitchen” or “we just don’t know if we should go with ceramic tile or hardwood floors for our new space.” There are many choices out there and you can feel overwhelmed by them. What the Look Book does is help you zone in on what you like. So when the time comes to make decisions that are right for you about design or about products you will buy – you are making informed and educated decisions because you have clarified ahead of time what you are thinking about.
They say that information is power. So the more information you have at your fingertips that is compiled for you and your home – the better off you will be when you have to make decisions. There is nothing worse than being in the midst of a renovation and having to make a decision about something when you are stressed or feeling scattered with everything that is going on around you. Instead, you can have a creative tool at your disposal that serves as a visual reminder or guide of what you like. Plus, it gives you a stronger voice when you are talking to a contractor, painter or even a store salesperson to say “this is the look I’m going for” and then you can share your vision.
New Contributing Home Editor: Stephen Saint-Onge 
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